Description
Description: Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA. Sea turtles are migratory animals that
travel long distances between their feeding and breeding
grounds. Traditional methods for researching sea turtle
migratory behavior have important disadvantages, and the
development of alternatives would enhance our ability to monitor and manage
these globally endangered species. Here we report on the
isotope signatures in green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) barnacles (Platylepas sp.) and discuss their
potential relevance as tools with which to study green sea turtle migration
and habitat use patterns. We analyzed oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotope ratios
in barnacle calcite layers from specimens collected from green turtles
captured at the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (PANWR) in the
Central Pacific. Carbon isotopes were not informative in
this study. However, the oxygen
isotope results suggest likely regional movement patterns when mapped onto
a predictive oxygen isotope map of the Pacific. Barnacle
proxies could therefore complement other methods in understanding regional
movement patterns, informing more effective conservation
policy that takes into account connectivity between
populations.